The Blacksmith's Son
by FantasyEmpress
Summary: Sequel to the Pirate's Bride. Will Turner III doesn't know who he really is. But the time will come when he must be told of his history. Discontinued, at least for the moment.
1. Chapter 1

**This starts when Willy, Elizabeth's son, is fifteen, so it's somewhere around thirteen years after Symbols of Love. HUGE, HUGE CHAPTER. This story may be more like a novel than a small fantfiction, so there'll be a lot of long chapters. **

William Torrance stared across the table at his sister, Carina. She was shifting her food around with her fork, not really eating anything. Will was worried about her. He would not speak of it here though; because it appeared she didn't want Mum and Pop to know anything was wrong. She was fourteen, having just turned that, and he would turn sixteen in five months. They were best friends. He supposed she must be moping over Billy Riggings. He had seen the way she tried to get his attention. Billy was sixteen, and preferred girls who were older than he was, which Will thought to be a very odd thing. However, despite Billy's lack of attention, Will often worried about his sister being near the village boys. She was blooming, growing. Her figure had filled out to a rather surprising degree in the last year, and she was tall, willowy, and beautiful. She looked like their mother. Black hair, chocolate brown eyes. He worried that she was going to be taken advantage of someday.

Pop was reading a letter that had come in on a merchant ship. The merchants worked on the bare edge of legality, and were friends with many pirates, so the letter was probably from Uncle Jack. Though Captain Jack Sparrow was a legend, Will never thought of his mother's cousin as anything but Uncle Jack. Jack Sparrow was said to be immortal. He had, according to all the old tales, been brought back from death, and most said he had not aged a day since. His wife, Elizabeth, was said to have become immortal herself some years ago, or at least had stopped aging, and still looked as young as she had at twenty. Because of this, nobody seemed to know how old they actually were; just that Jack was considerably older than Elizabeth was. Eternal youth was said to have been granted to them by Calypso. Will had always felt a strange connection with Aunt Elizabeth. Maybe it was because she had once been a Governor's daughter, trapped on land, and had risen above that and become a pirate. Will had a craving for the sea and the freedom it represented, but he never told anyone about it except Carina. Aunt Elizabeth made him think it was possible to break free.

Mum was distracted by Troy and Tony, the twins, who were ten years old and fighting like mongrel dogs, and Will noticed that Carina was taking advantage of their parents' distraction and feeding her food to the dog, Rumrunner. Every time Will thought of how the dog got that name, he laughed. Uncle Jack had so named the puppy because it had stolen his bottle of rum right out of his hand and taken off down the beach. The puppy had been christened with seawater and swearwords. Will frowned worriedly at Carina as she put her empty plate on the table and asked to be excused. Pop murmured an accent without looking up. Carina took her plate to the kitchen, washed it, and then went outside. Will finished eating quickly, and then got permission to leave as well. He grinned at Louise as he went by, and the five year old giggled cheerfully. Will washed his dish and followed Carina, but not before being tripped by twelve year old Brent, their father's namesake.

It was a big family, and sometimes Will wished for more privacy. Will and Brent shared a room, as did Troy and Tony, Carina and Louise. The littlest one, three year old Nan, still slept in their parents room. Will usually got along well with Brent, but there were times when Will felt like begging his father to add on another room so he could have his own. Brent had a tendency to keep Will up at all odd hours of the night, talking about whatever girl he happened to be in love with that particular week. Will wasn't big on girls, he had liked one or two, but Brent was ridiculous. Pop said he had been just like that at that age, once again reminding Will that he seemed to have inherited nothing from either parent. Will sometimes felt like a misfit. He sometimes seemed to have more in common with Aunt Elizabeth than he did with his own mother. It was not that he didn't love his parents; it was just that he wasn't like them. Carina looked like their mother, but had her own personality. Brent looked and acted like their father. Troy and Tony looked like their mother but acted like their father. Louise had their mother's deep brown eyes and their father's blond hair, a rather odd mix. Nan looked liked Mum's mother apparently. Will however, had dark brown hair and light chocolate eyes. He didn't look like either Mum or Pop or their parents. He didn't act like any of them either, though Carina often seemed to have the same thoughts and feelings as he did.

He found her where he had expected to find her. There was the ruin of an old storehouse sitting up on a cliff about a five minute walk from the house. Pop had built a sturdy fence here to keep the little ones from wandering off to their death. There was a corner of the storehouse still standing, and a flight of steps. Will and Carina both found this the perfect place to think. They could stare off over the ocean to the horizon from here. It was a good place to look for ships coming in and for watching storms brewing. Carina sat on the steps, a sad look on her face. He sat beside her, staring out to sea wordlessly. If she wanted to talk, she would talk. He offered her support and understanding just by being there. After a few minutes of silence, Carina sighed loudly. He understood Carina almost as well as he understood himself. A sigh was a signal that he could speak.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She was silent for a moment, but then she spoke quietly.

"Clover Nona said that her baby is Billy's."

Will raised his eyebrows, shocked. He had known Billy had a lot of girlfriends, but he had never thought it had gone onto improper ground. The fact that seventeen year old Clover Nona was scandalously pregnant had been attributed to some sailor passing through. He was unsure about what to say now. Carina had only a vague idea of how a child was created, and Will had no intention of spoiling her innocence, but it seemed important that she be made to understand that she must not go near Billy any more than was polite.

"Why does that make you sad?"

He was hoping that it was because Billy had disappointed her, not because she was jealous of Clover.

"I thought Billy was good."

Her childish answer relieved Will immensely.

"You shouldn't be too upset at him, people do bad things, and he's probably sorry; but don't go near him without having someone with you anymore, alright?"

Carina nodded, a big tear rolling down her cheek.

"Why are you crying, Cary? You didn't do anything wrong, you just liked a boy who you thought was nice."

"I feel like a fool."

Ah yes, pride. No wonder she was crying. She felt stupid for liking a young man who had turned out to be unworthy. He grinned. Wounded pride was a dangerous thing. He was glad she had not taken off to the village to confront Billy herself.

"You couldn't know, Cary. Besides, Clover has been known to say some outrageously untrue things in the past. It's possible Billy is innocent, but you need to stay away from him just in case. Don't feel stupid. Nobody will think you're a fool. You're not the only good girl who really liked Billy."

"But I'm usually so much smarter than all those others!"

Will grinned. The usual, spunky, cocky Carina was back. Carina was not as snobbish as she sometimes sounded, it was a sort of running joke; she pretended she thought she was superior. It was probably true though, Will thought affectionately. She was a very intelligent girl, though Will generally didn't let her know he thought that.

"Well, everybody has a silly moment here and there, eh? Even the great Carina Torrance!"

She smiled. She had a smile that was presently going to start knocking young men down.

"Carina, I know it's forbidden to compliment your sister by the unwritten sibling's rulebook, but you are a very pretty young woman."

He saw that his words were the final thing needed to boost her back to full confidence. They should have been twins. Their minds and hearts so often seemed to be connected.

"So, Carina, I have a friend who I trust who's been looking at you a lot lately. I'll introduce you if you promise not to hurt his feelings."

"Is he good looking?"

"How should I know? I'm not a girl! He's certainly not my idea of good looking! But his looks are consistent with what you always tell me is good, so you'll probably like him."

"What's his name?"

"Drew Gilt. You've probably seen him before, even been introduced, but you were always looking over the poor chap's shoulder at Billy."

"The name is familiar. Do introduce us. So, do you have any girl in particular that you like?"

"Not at the moment. Are you going to introduce me to someone?"

"Yep. Her name is Cherry McLay. She's real pretty. Blond hair, green eyes, etc. Nice too. You'll like her."

"Carina, you know I like dark-haired, dark-eyed girls."

"Yes, but it's time you tried something different."

"Well, I suppose you can introduce us."

Will smiled at his dance partner cheerfully. Cherry was indeed a pleasant young woman, about a month younger than he was, and they had been attending various functions together for about a week. They had agreed on a friendly relationship, however, which was not quite what Carina had had in mind. She and Drew had been immediately interested in each other in a rather more than friendly way, and she wanted Will to have her good luck. Will found himself surprising uninterested in girls for a fifteen year old, however. He was happy without being romantically attached. He glanced over Cherry's shoulder at Carina, who was held in Drew's arms rather tighter than necessary for dancing. Cherry laughed melodically, and Will glanced down at her.

"What?"

She giggled, looking at Carina and Drew with a smile.

"If she wasn't your sister, I'd say you were jealous!"

He laughed too, but he couldn't help looking a little worried.

"It's just that I introduced them, and if he does something improper, I'll feel guilty, and rightly so. I trusted him with her, and if I misplaced my trust, anything that happens is my fault."

"He's not going to do anything improper. All the boys hold their girls closer than they need to. That's why there's always old people sitting in the corners at these dances, they break couples up if they get too close."

Will looked around and discovered that there were indeed older people sitting and chatting in the corners, every once in a while glancing at the couples. He had seen them before but had assumed they just came to watch the fun and pretend they were young again. That did indeed seem to be what they were mostly doing, but he noted one old man get up, walk over to a couple who were pressed against each other ridiculously hard, and stuck his cane between them. They backed up a little bit, blushing at being singled out, and the man went and sat back down. Will chuckled.

"I hope Drew saw that."

Cherry laughed again.

"I don't think it's necessary. Drew is my next door neighbor, you know. He's a good fellow, he'll protect Carina's honor with the same care he would expect from you if you were courting his sister. Carina is a smart girl too; she'll speak her mind if she feels he's overstepping his boundaries. So stop worrying and have fun, William Torrance!"

Will tried to stop worrying, and after a few moments he forgot about Drew and Carina and just enjoyed himself. By the end of the evening, he was beginning to wonder if maybe he and Cherry could be more than friends. She seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he caught her looking at him, and she blushed when he caught her. He smiled, and she smiled shyly back. He walked her home after the dance. At some point, their hands joined, fingers intertwining. He never quite knew who initiated the contact; it was just a mutual motion. At the door of her house, she turned to him, and without a word, brushed her soft lips over his cheek. She smiled, blushing in the dim light, and then fled into the house. Will touched the place where her lips had been softly, then began his trudge home.

When he reached the house, he saw Carina and Drew talking quietly in the shadows of the porch. Carina kissed his cheek, much as Cherry had Will's. Drew, however, tried to kiss Carina's lips. She turned her face away.

"No Drew, not yet. I don't know you well enough. A first kiss is special, not to be given lightly."

Will watched carefully, forcing himself to remain calm when he wanted to be angry at even the attempted kiss. To his relief, Drew stood up to Will's expectations.

"Sorry, Carina. I didn't mean to offend. You're just so beautiful."

"It's all right Drew, I'm not angry. Just let me make first steps, okay?"

Will saw Drew nod in the dark, then the couple parted and Drew went down the road whistling cheerfully. He didn't see Will, who was hidden in the darkness.

Will stepped up onto the porch.

"So, do you like him a lot?"

Carina didn't jump. They had an uncanny ability to sense each other's presence.

"I don't know. I like him well enough. But…"

"it just doesn't seem quite right?"

She nodded.

"Why is it that you can so often read my mind?"

"Because I usually have the same feelings as you. I felt the same way with Cherry tonight. I like her, she's beautiful, I'll probably even keep seeing her; but something feels out of place."

Carina nodded again.

"That's exactly how I felt! Stop reading my mind!"

She tackled him playfully, knocking him to soft ground at the bottom of the porch. They rolled over and over, tickling each other and stuffing grass and dirt in each other's faces. When they stood up, laughing, their good clothes were in horrible disarray. Carina summed this up smartly.

"Mum's going to kill us!"

He nodded, still laughing, but aware of something troubling touching the back of his mind. They entered the house and endured their mother's scolding good naturedly. They knew she was laughing inside, it was reflected in her eyes. However, Will thought he saw worry there too. He didn't understand why. Maybe seeing Drew walk Carina home had reminded her that they were growing up. Such reminders always made Mum look pensive.

He said goodnight to Carina and Mum, kissing their cheeks as usual, then went to bed. Something continued to trouble him, but he could not put words to it.

The next morning at breakfast, Pop announced the contents of the letter from Uncle Jack.

"The Sparrow's are coming to visit. The whole flock of them."

A cheer went up around the table. Will grinned. Pop's voice had reflected a mixture of pleasure at the idea of seeing his friends again and horror at the thought of having the five Sparrow children added to his seven for any amount of time. It had become apparent that the Brittiana bloodline, from which came Jack's mother and Mum's father, had a tendency towards producing twins. Mum and Pop had Troy and Tony, and Jack and Elizabeth had two sets: Nicole and Nicholas, Timothy and Sara-Lee. The older set was thirteen now, and the younger set was ten, meaning that they were an explosive combination when playing with Troy and Tony. The other child was a nine-year-old girl named Clara. Whenever the Sparrows came to visit, chaos ensued. They also brought with them Carl and Anamaria, who had two children. In some places, the black children and their parents would have been rejected, but here they were welcomed. Port Nanton was a very pleasant place no matter who you were. So, with all the children added up, the arrival of the _Black Pearl _meant there would be fifteen kids sleeping in the house, plus six adults. Though it was possible Carl and Anamaria would take theirs back to the ship at night. No wonder Pop looked a little pale. Will was excited, as a plan formed in his mind: a plan for freedom.


	2. Chapter 2

Will and Carina stood together on the steps of the old ruin, looking out to the sea. They could see the black sails of the world's fastest ship coming towards them at an amazing rate. Will so longed to be on that ship. He had made up his mind. He was gong to ask Uncle Jack to take him on as a cabin boy. Carina looked sad. She spoke quietly.

"You're going to leave with them, aren't you? You're going to get a job from Uncle Jack and leave."

Will sighed. Knowing someone with the ability to read your thoughts could be a troublesome thing.

"Yes Cary. If Pop is willing to let me go, and Uncle Jack has something for me to do, I'm going to leave. But I'll be back soon enough. Jack and Elizabeth never stay away for more than two years. Usually less. Hey, don't cry. I haven't even got permission yet. Uncle Jack isn't even here yet! You can cry when and if I leave."

He wiped away the tear that had been rolling down her face. Her pretty red lips were pouted slightly, and he knew any of the village boys would have taken that opportunity to kiss her. He was glad he was here and not one of them. She looked up at him, and for a split second, he forgot he was looking at his sister. For a split second, he leaned towards her, acting on instinct, wanting to kiss her. Suddenly, Troy and Tony bounded up the hill, yelling and pointing eagerly at the approaching _Black Pearl. _Will blinked and felt horror wash over him. He saw the same expression on Carina's face. They had almost kissed, sister and brother! That was an abomination, a horrible thing! She fled down the hill after whispering something about telling their parents the ship was coming in. He just stood there, like a statue, terrified by the emotion of that one split second.

After a moment, he recovered. He hadn't actually kissed her. The near kiss had just been an instinct, a reaction to their closeness and her beauty. He hadn't been thinking, and had reacted as if she was not his sister. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was natural for a young man to be attracted to someone as lovely as Carina, and he often forgot she was his sister, thinking of her more as a friend. However, he remained troubled despite all his mental self-assurances. He suddenly felt a longing to tell somebody about that horrible instinct. As he stared out to the approaching ship, he suddenly smiled. Uncle Jack.

When the ship docked, and its passengers stepped onto land, the Torrance dwelling erupted into madness. Screaming and laughing children shot in every direction. Captain Jack Sparrow entered the room with a bottle of rum in one hand and a squalling baby in the other. Everyone looked in surprise at the infant. Had the Sparrow's had another child? No, Aunt Elizabeth had always let Mum know things like that. Timothy and Sara-Lee were already engaged in a wrestling match with Troy and Tony, and, after trying to get them to stop and be silent for several long moments, Uncle Jack poured his rum on them. They sat up, spluttering and coughing, and assumed the requested silence. The other children had already sat down. Now Jack turned back to the adults, who were trying hard not to laugh. His long sailor's coat swished out behind him, and he held the baby as if it were a prize, handing it to Mum with a graceful bow.

"Jack, whose baby is this? Not yours, is it?"

"No, it's not ours. Elizabeth happened upon a, umm, well, for the sake of childish ears, a woman of questionable morals, giving birth in Tortuga. She helped her birth the baby, but the mother had some problems and, well, she passed on. Elizabeth brought the baby back. We decided to keep him. We named him Phillip, that's what 'is mother wanted."

Mum looked down at the baby with a smile. Will sometimes wondered how Mum could still love babies after having so many, but he supposed she was just designed to be motherly. Suddenly, they all realized something. Mum asked the question first.

"Jack, where is Elizabeth?"

Uncle Jack looked around in puzzlement. Obviously he had thought his wife had followed him. He swore under his breath, and then apologized.

"She must ha' got sick again."

With no explanation, he scurried back out the door. He returned in a few moments with a rather pale wife in tow. The idea of Aunt Elizabeth being sick was a slightly ridiculous one. Mum didn't look overly surprised however. Elizabeth hugged Mum, and then grinned.

"First time in nine years, Katrina. I'm sicker than I ever was before. Seems my body's forgotten how to do it."

Will suddenly realized what was the matter with his aunt. Another baby on the way! He thought Aunt Elizabeth was around thirty-eight, not the best time to have a baby, for most women. But then again, Elizabeth's eternal youth would probably allow her to have children at eighty. Will wondered how that eternal youth thing worked. Could Jack and Elizabeth die? Wouldn't they eventually be sick of living, when all their friends and even their children had gotten old and died? He would have to ask Uncle Jack sometime. For the moment, however, congratulations were being offered. Discussions flew in various directions.

Eventually, after several hours of exhausting noise, most of the children went to bed. Will, Carina, Brent, Nicole, Nicholas, and Terina were allowed to stay up. Terina was Anamaria's oldest. They played board games quietly while the adults talked. Aunt Elizabeth spoke to them all, but, as usual, she continually looked at Will. He was her favorite of the Torrance children. She always spoke to him very directly, asking how his life was going, and things like that. He sometimes wondered at the wistful look on her face as she watched him. It was as if she had lost something, and he was a bittersweet reminder of it. For the moment, however, he was not thinking much about Jack and Elizabeth. He was thinking about Carina.

Carina sat across the game board, smiling and laughing with the others, but she would not look at Will. Once, she looked up at him, met his eyes, and looked down again. He saw her blush. Hurt washed over him. Was it possible that one mistake could ruin their friendship? He was going to speak to her, say something casual, try to put her at ease, but was interrupted by Nicholas, who had been speaking to Brent.

"You know, Nicole and I were conceived on a checker board."

Nicole nodded emphatically.

"Yep, it's true."

Jack marched into the room and grabbed his oldest son by the ears.

"Why do you think that?"

Nicholas grimaced. He was going to have to confess now.

"I heard you and Ma talking. You said that we were conceived on a checker board, the other twins in the rum room, and Clara in the bed. You were saying that's why she's more normal than the rest of us."

Will could see that Uncle Jack was fighting back laughter, but he cuffed Nicholas' ears mildly and scolded him for eavesdropping. Then he went back into the kitchen, where the adults were talking. A moment later they heard all their parents laughing.

Carina laughed softly, and when she met Will's eyes again, she didn't look away, she grinned in her usual way. Immense relief flooded Will's heart. But fear was there too. When she smiled at him, his heart beat fast and his mind whirled. It was not a new feeling, but always before he had passed it up, ignored it. It had always bothered him, but he had assumed it couldn't possibly be what he would otherwise call it. Attraction. Then today, he had almost kissed her, and he was forced into the realization that he was, and had been for some time, attracted to his sister. He felt that he had done something horribly wrong, but it was out of his control. He tried not to be interested in her, but she was the most perfect girl he had ever met.

Carina was back to normal, and Will pretended he was as well. Time passed. Around midnight, almost everyone faded off to bed. Uncle Jack, much to Will's relief, asked Will to take a late night walk with him. That would be a good opportunity to talk about his problem.

They walked up the hill and sat on the steps. Jack looked around and looked as if he felt he should recognize this place. Then, he got a look on his face that suggested whatever he had tried to remember had come back to mind. He turned to Will.

"So lad, how's life? Got yourself a girl yet?"

"Sort of. Cherry. We've gone a few places together, but we're mostly friends. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Jack swigged rum and motioned Will to continue with a sweep of a bejeweled hand.

"I almost kissed Carina today."

Jack choked and sprayed rum. Wiping his mouth, he turned to Will.

"Come again? You almost kissed your sister?"

Will nodded, ashamed and frightened. Jack looked out to sea. After long moments, he spoke.

"Will, there are things you don't know about yourself, but it's not my place to tell you them. But if this is more than just a moment, just a near kiss; if you're actually attracted to her in general, I think it's time you come away. I could use another set of strong arms on the _Pearl. _What d'ya say mate? Want to go to sea?"

Will found himself fighting back tears. He didn't understand what Jack meant about there being things about himself he didn't know. All he knew was that he felt more for his sister than he felt for any other girl, and it was wrong. He had to leave.

"Yes Uncle Jack, I wanted to go with you anyway. Will Pop let me? You won't tell him, how I feel about Carina, will you?"

"No, I won't. Brent'll let you go if I ask. We leave in a week."

That night, Will dreamt of Carina. He dreamed of kissing her. He didn't dream of anything that would have been improper had it not been his sister he dreamt of, but he awoke horrified and ashamed of the clarity with which he had felt her lips in dreaming. And as he sat in the darkness with tears streaming down his face, he knew again with terrible certainty that he must leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Will looked at Carina longingly. If only she were not his sister. If only he could suddenly discover that one of them had been found on a church step as a baby and wasn't really a Torrance. If only it was not wrong for a sister and brother to love each other as male and female. _If only, if only, if only. _

He was leaving today. Leaving in the hopes that when he came back in a year or two, this attraction would have died. How he wished he could kiss her goodbye. He held both of her hands in his; looking in to the most wonderful eyes he had ever seen. Tears ran from those eyes freely. Gently, he kissed her forehead, forcing his longing for her mouth into the back of his mind.

"Goodbye Carina. I love you."

Once, those words were meant entirely in a brother to sister way. Now, he didn't know what they meant. He loved her, he just didn't know how exactly. Part as a brother, part as a friend, part as a boy loves a girl. He was falling in love with her. Not the deep, abiding love that leads to marriage; no, he was too young to love like that. But he was beginning to feel the kind of immature love that could lead to that deep love. If only she were not his sister. _If only, if only, if only. _

She stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, too close to his mouth for comfort. He dug his fingernails hard into his palm and bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. How he longed to turn his mouth to her lips, to feel them against his. She pulled back, and he carefully let out the breath he had been holding.

"I love you too, Will. Goodbye."

He wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Don't cry. I'll be back, Cary. Take care of Drew."

He smiled lopsidedly, pushing back the jealousy.

"That reminds me, shouldn't you go say goodbye to Cherry? She's in love with you, you know."

"Is she? I'll go. I'm not going to say goodbye to you again Carina. It hurts too much, so I won't come back to the house after I see Cherry. I'll go right to the ship."

He kissed her cheek, and then fled, trying not to make it obvious that was what he was doing. If he had looked back, he would have seen Carina crumple to the stone steps in tears.

Will came to Cherry's house and knocked. He was pleased when Cherry opened the door. He forced Carina out of his mind. When he did that, he found he could be very attracted to Cherry. She wore a lovely pastel green dress that was just a shade lighter than her eyes. Her blond hair was pulled away from her face, and then allowed to sweep down her back to her waist. A very slim waist. The dress was modest, but assured any viewer that she was reaching maturity with a magnificent figure. Her lips, curved into a pleased smile at seeing him, were perfectly shaped and a lovely shade of dark pink. He knew that perfect rows of white teeth were hidden beneath those pretty lips.

"Will. Is something wrong?"

"No. I…came to say goodbye. I'm going to work for my Uncle Jack. I'm leaving on the _Black Pearl _in an hour."

"So, you're going to be a pirate? With the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow? How delightful! I wish I could do that sort of thing. It's would be ever so much more exciting than just staying here. I do hate being a girl sometimes. Boys have all the fun."

She pouted in a rather adorable way. He felt some measure of cheerfulness return to him, felt the aching desire for Carina's lips fade further, but he knew it was still there. He grinned at Cherry.

"Being a boy has its bad points to. We have to do all the hard work."

"You do not! Men do muscle work. That's easy! Women have to take care of children! Nothing could be harder! Would you like to come in?"

He laughed at the way she ended her little rant with such a polite question. He nodded and she led him into the quiet house.

"Where's the family?"

"Oh, they went to visit old Mrs. Hummond. She's not been well and she's a distant relative of Mother's. I would have gone but it's a rather damp day and I have a bit of a cold. I'm glad I didn't go. I might not have gotten to see you."

He had been following her as she spoke, but on the last sentence she stopped and turned to him. He nearly ran into her, but ended up standing very close as she looked up at him. He never quite knew what happened then. The longing for Carina, the excitement of leaving, and the awareness of Cherry's beauty all seemed to burst forth in his brain. All he knew was that Cherry was in his arms, her lips under his soft and pliant, opening as he pressed her harder. He ravished her mouth, putting all his shame and anger and desire over his feelings for Carina into his kiss. She half-heartedly tried to push him away, but he kept on and she gave up. He pushed her back against the kitchen table. She shoved him a bit more insistently. She managed to break free just long enough to say his name, and suddenly he saw the fear in her eyes and came to his senses, covering his face with his hands as he sank to his knees. She knelt in front of him, pulling his hands away and holding them tightly. Tears were running down her face. Her lips were swollen and unnaturally red. He felt tears fill his own eyes. Why had he done such a thing?

"I'm sorry Cherry. So very, very sorry. I, I don't know why I did that. I should go now."

He stood up, wiping his eyes and heading towards the door.

"Will."

He looked back and she came to stand in front of him again. She reached up and brushed her lips ever so softly over his.

"I forgive you. It's all right. Goodbye, and good luck."

She smiled softly. He felt a tear run down his cheek. Wiping it away, he lifted her hand and kissed it softly, then left the house, heading to the dock where the ship that was his future waited.

That night, Jack lay looking at Elizabeth in the shadows of their cabin. Years of marriage, and still he ravished her to sleep almost every night. Tonight however, she had begged off after several long kisses, weary due to her rather unexpected pregnancy. So he was left laying awake in the darkness, glum and unsatisfied, worrying about the situation with Will. Should he tell Elizabeth that her son was falling in love with a girl he believed to be his sister? What would she do? It would be a very hurtful situation either way. One way, Will would find out that Elizabeth had given him up, and may be angry at her and at his adoptive parents for never telling him. The people he had loved as family would be revealed to not even be actual blood relations, just relations through marriage. Though that would be hurtful, it would mean he could pursue Carina. The other way, things would continue as they had been. Will would go on thinking there was something wrong with him, that he should not be attracted to Carina. However, the lad would almost certainly get over that anyway by the time they came back to Port Nanton in a year or two. Yes, it was better to leave things as they were for the moment. He drew Elizabeth against him and drifted off to sleep.

In the crew's quarters, Will lay in a hammock, thinking about the day. Shame seemed to color every thought that went through his mind. He was half in love with his sister, and he had hurt a girl who was half in love with him, emotionally and physically. He was a wretch. The pain in his heart was nearly physical. So much so that he groaned quietly. Suddenly, a gravelly voice spoke from somewhere near him.

"Got some problems, lad?"

He was puzzled. He had met the entire crew today, and had not heard that voice among them. A hand came out of the darkness.

"Captain Hector Barbossa, at yer service."

Will felt his eyes widen. Barbossa. He had half thought that Uncle Jack made the man up to make his old stories more exciting. If he had been real, Will had assumed he would be dead by now. But now that very man was addressing him. He had always heard that Barbossa was a cunning, but blunt, man, so he spoke his mind while shaking the offered hand.

"How old are you? I assumed you had died."

Barbossa chuckled.

"A lad who speaks 'is mind! Good! I'm like Jack and 'lizbeth, boy. I already died once. It can't happen again until I want it to."

"Is that how it works? I've never quite understood. And Aunt Elizabeth didn't die, did she?"

"Sure did. Shot through the heart eight years ago by a stupid scallywag who didn't last another minute. Calypso owed us all a favor though, and told us how to save her. She was back in a week, and immortal. Jack was actually almost happy she died. He'd been worrying about how he was going to live forever, but she would die eventually and he'd be alone."

"But, you said you could die if you wanted to?"

"Tha's right. If I decide I want to be a normal man, I'll start the slow process of dying. But I'll start it at the age I was when I died the first time, so I'll still live a long time. To break the immortality, I'd have to go through a lot of rituals and such. It wouldn't happen just because of a foolish death wish in a depressed moment, I'd have to be very certain. But me, I'm happy with life. I don't plan on givin' it up anytime soon."

"Why are you down here? I mean, you weren't on deck today."

"Aye. I got shot in me leg three weeks ago, during a boarding. It's healing well, but 'lizbeth won't let me move much, silly lass."

There was an obvious affection for Elizabeth present in Barbossa's voice. Suddenly, Will remembered that the Sparrow children often mentioned a 'Grandpa', but he had never known who it was. Barbossa must think of Elizabeth as his daughter.

"Anyways, back to my original question. Got some problems? You've been sighing and groaning like a dying man e'er since you laid down. Or maybe you're jus' not used to a hammock?"

"I have a lot of problems, but I'm ashamed of them, so would you mind horribly if I didn't talk about them?"

"That's fine lad, but you remember I'm 'round if ya need to discuss."

"Thanks. Goodnight."

"'night yerself, lad. Sleep well."

Will sighed. That was one thing that was not going to happen.


	4. Chapter 4

Will stood in the crow's nest, looking out to the ocean surrounding him. He felt as if he had finally found where he belonged. He had been on the _Pearl _for three weeks, mostly doing odd jobs and learning everything the crew would teach him about the sea and sailing on it. He loved being on the sea. He hadn't been seasick for a moment, and even Clara Sparrow sometimes got seasick, after living her entire nine years of existence on this ship. Aunt Elizabeth was still feeling the ill, and spent a lot of time in her cabin. Uncle Jack checked on her at regular intervals, during which times Barbossa, leg now completely healed, would happily take the wheel. Gibbs, Jack's old first mate and best friend, now didn't really do anything, as he was getting old, but sat around and told stories to the children. Most of them were hugely exaggerated, and the children knew it, but they loved hearing the stories anyway, because, unlike true stories, they changed each time they were told. Carl Four-finger, Anamaria's husband, was the official first mate, but he willingly shared his duties with old Barbossa, who still loved the _Pearl _as much as Jack did, though he had given up stealing it. The _Black Pearl _was a wonderful place. Everyone seemed so happy. It was rubbing off on Will.

He thought about Carina and Cherry every day, but the hurt and shame was starting to fade, lulled by the comforting touch of the sea. Will loved the sea. He felt free for the first time in his life. Free and completely happy. The Sparrow boys did their share of work, and slept well at night, not keeping Will up with talking. The girls had a cabin to themselves, and often spent large amounts of time in it, playing with the foreign dolls Jack had got off a Spanish ship. Nicole spent most of her time on deck, and Will became her friend. Nicholas he found somewhat annoying, but no more than Brent back home. Probably less. Life was good.

**OOOO**

He should not have expected it to last. All good things come to an end, or so the saying goes. It started the day he allowed himself to start flirting with Nicole. She was a pretty little thing, with hair like her mother's, and sea green eyes. It was just a game, their obvious glances at each other, her humorous pouts and extreme batting of the lashes. It meant nothing, it was just fun, but Will noticed that Jack started watching them almost jealously. He supposed Uncle Jack hadn't really noticed that Nicole was getting to the age where she would be interesting to young men. Oh well, he would get used to it. Or so Will thought. There came a day, however, when he and Nicole stood very close, and she was lifting her face to him, and he knew he was going to kiss her. As he leaned towards her, however, Jack suddenly started yelling at the top of his lungs.

"**NICOLE ELIZABETH SPARROW!!! GET INTO YOUR ROOM AND STAY THERE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!!"**

Nicole looked scared and surprised, but obediently scurried to her cabin. Will turned and watched his mother's cousin tramping towards him with a hand on his cutlass, looking more threatening than Will could have ever pictured Jack Sparrow looking. He gulped. Surely Jack wouldn't hurt him? He was unarmed, and family. Besides, Nicole wasn't actually a close relative. Why did Jack have such a problem with their flirtation? Jack marched up until he stood toe to toe with Will, and glared at him opinionatedly.

"Boy, I like you, and you're family, but if you ever touch any of my daughters, I'll run you through!"

"Why, Uncle Jack? She's my mother's cousin's daughter. That's not a very close relationship. Don't you ever intend to let her have beaus?"

Jack looked rather pale. It was as if he had scolded Will and Nicole and then realized he had no reason for them not to like each other, or a reason they didn't know.

"Aye, she'll have beaus, just not you. I won't discuss my decision. Now, go mend that sail."

**OOOO**

That night, Jack found himself deep in thought again as Elizabeth washed her hair in a small basin and braided it, then came to sit beside him. This was not good. Will had thought he was attracted to his sister, but she wasn't actually related. Now, he was attracted to a girl he thought was a distant relative, but was actually his real half sister. What a muddlesome situation! Elizabeth frowned at Jack.

"What's troubling you?"

"Nothin' love, just thinking."

"Jack, you know I won't believe that. Why bother saying it?"

He grinned.

"I'll tell ya sometime, jus' not right now."

"Why not?"

"Lizzie-luv, I have my own reasons. It's not the right time to discuss it. So, how are you tonight? Tired?"

She sat on his lap and kissed him lightly.

"Not too much. Why?"

Her eyes sparkled mischievously. He managed to keep a straight face as he spoke.

"Well, I was going to ask you to take the night-watch. Barbossa is sick of it."

She laughed and stood up, heading towards the door in only her nightgown. She hadn't gone two steps before Jack grabbed her and pulled her back to his lap. Her melodic laugh was silenced by his kiss.

**OOOO**

Meanwhile, Nicole, Nicholas, and Will were standing up on the deck, listening to Gibbs tell a story. He finished with a dramatic twist, and then asked the Sparrow children what they wanted to hear next.

"Tell Ma's story, Uncle Gibbs. And tell it like it really was, no exaggeration."

Gibbs looked somehow uncomfortable. However, he hesitantly began.

"Elizabeth Swann was the daughter of the governor in Port Royal. The first time I met her, she was jus' a wee lass on the navy ship I sailed on. She loved pirates. She would sing this strange little ditty, and I told her 'twas bad luck. It must have been, 'cause we came upon a ship that was burning, attacked by pirates. Elizabeth saw the lad first, a boy about her own age, floating on a raft half-dead. We rescued 'im, and her father said for her to watch 'im. 'Twas years afore I saw either of them again. Jack Sparrow showed up in Tortuga with a lad, twenty some, who turned out to be the boy we rescued. William Turner was 'is name. Jack was trying to get this ship back from Barbossa, and his cursed crew, and they had kidnapped Elizabeth. See, Elizabeth had a medallion, which actually belonged to Will Turner. She stole it from him to keep him from being convicted as a pirate. Now, what Elizabeth didn't know is that Will Turner's blood on that medallion was needed to break the curse on Barbossa and his crew. One day, Elizabeth put the medallion round her neck, for fun. That day, she was standing on a fort over the sea, wearing a corset, and she fainted. She fell into the water. The medallion sent out a kind of signal to Barbossa. She sank right to the bottom. Thet was when yer Ma met yer Pa. Jack had been muddling some sailors, and when he saw her fall, he rescued her. Unfortunately, he was sentenced to hang for piracy. Elizabeth, somewhat unwillingly, helped him escape. He ran to hide in the Blacksmith's shop where Will worked. They fought, and Jack ended up caught and thrown in jail. That night, Barbossa attacked. Elizabeth ended up on this ship with the medallion. She thought they would hold her for ransom if they knew she was the governor's daughter, so she said her name was Elizabeth Turner. She was in love with Turner see. That was the worst thing she could say. They took her captive, and Will sprung Jack and they came to Tortuga for a crew. Jack was planning to use Will as a bargaining chip for his ship. Misadventures ensued. It all ended with Barbossa dead, the curse broken, and Jack rescued from hanging with Will and Elizabeth's help. A year later, Will and Elizabeth's wedding was interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett."

The story went on. Will had not heard many of these things. He hadn't known that Elizabeth had been in love with someone else once. He hadn't known that Elizabeth killed Jack. But what really surprised him was the mention of the child he hadn't known existed.

"See, Elizabeth was four months along with Will's child when he died. Jack took her aboard his ship and soon they were engaged. She had the child, named after her late husband, and then she made a right hard decision. She knew her husband would want his son safe on land until he could decide to go to sea for himself, so they left little William Turner the Third on land with some friends who hadn't been able to have children."

Will felt a shock. His name was William Jack Torrance. Was it a coincidence that he bore the names of both Elizabeth's husbands? He shook the idea that he could be Elizabeth's son out of his mind. His parents had no trouble producing children, unlike the couple baby Will had been left with. He couldn't be William Turner. He couldn't be. Still, he felt a nervous uncertainty settle in his stomach. He asked Gibbs the first question that came to mind.

"Did Aunt Elizabeth ever see her son again?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Aye, many times. Many, many times."

Shaking the uncertainty from his mind, Will said goodnight and walked towards the crew's quarters. He _was _William Jack Torrance, _not_ William Turner III!

**OOOO**


End file.
